Gentlemen: It’s Time to Lighten Up, Both Literally and Figuratively

As we transition into spring and summer vacation fashion, we put the navy blue, black, and other dark hues in our wardrobe away for the time being. And instead we break out the “Easter colors” like lime green, Carolina blue, purple, pink, and red.

Think of that scene in the quintessential American summer romance novel The Great Gatsby, when Daisy Buchanan gets over-excited about Jay Gatsby’s spring wardrobe.

Conveying that spirit, here are some men’s fashion trends to keep an eye on for spring and summer vacation.

You can dress “like a boss” in powder blue, sky blue, and other shades close to/sometimes used as synonyms for Carolina blue with this Press Stripe Polo by BOSS. Understated stripes add an extra touch of modern refinement to a lightweight cotton polo.

While very few of us have the resources to pull that off, personal shopping services are becoming more mainstream and affordable these days. Bombfell has emerged as a competitor to Trunk Club (who we’ve profiled previously here) in this industry. I cannot think of a better visual depicting what spring colors will trend in 2016 than these two tweets from their official account. #SpringStyle #LayersOfStyle

We’ve covered how to lighten up from a color scheme perspective, now it’s time to “lighten up” our mindset as well.

May-September is when most of us see our workload significantly decrease. It’s now time to chill. “Sell in May and go away,” as they say on Wall Street. One of the best ways a man can embrace the laid back zeitgeist of the season is to wear cotton pants.

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Paul M. Banks is a regular contributor to RedEye, the Chicago Tribune's youth-oriented daily newspaper. He appears regularly on WGN's CLTV (usually wearing a sport coat with skinny jeans) and KOZN 1620 The Zone. Banks previously contributed to the NBC Chicago and Washington Times websites. He currently owns and manages The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Growing up with three older sisters and no brothers, he inevitably ended up a member of #TeamOverDressed